Molly Carlson: young girls "deserve to grow up seeing female athletes celebrated" for capability
Molly CarlsonCanadian high diver
Molly Carlson said the Novig ad clashed with her own experience of body image in sport and argued athletes deserve to be celebrated for capability, not appearance.
“This one hits close to home... because I didn’t think I looked like the athlete I was ‘supposed’ to be. Young girls deserve to grow up seeing female athletes celebrated for their strength, courage, talent and what their bodies are capable of.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Novig, a U.S. sports prediction market in which Sydney Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder, released a "Just Sports" ad campaign on September 9, 2026, in which Sweeney appears nude or minimally clothed while covering herself with sports equipment. The ad drew public criticism from a number of female athletes, who said it sexualizes women’s sport; Novig’s CEO and at least one columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CBC News report quoting Cassidy Gray’s TikTok video and Molly Carlson’s Instagram post, plus Jacob Fortinsky’s launch-day quote.
Before the quotation
Posted to Instagram on or around September 14, 2026.
After the quotation
Quoted and described directly by CBC News.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Carlson frames the ad against her own history of body-image struggles in sport and argues athletes should be celebrated for capability rather than appearance, a clear denunciation of the ad’s approach.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Novig, Sydney Sweeney
More from this case
Read the full caseJones and co-authors criticize sexualization and gambling appeals in Novig's ad
“The ad captures two troubling trends: how routinely women’s bodies are sexualized in digital media and how gambling companies use sexual appeal, and the implied promise of romantic or sexual reward, to target young men.”Read statement
Fortinsky renews his defense of Novig's Sweeney ad
“Ultimately, I think we have nothing to apologize for and are very proud of the work that we did,”Read statement
Calkins defends the ad as sex-appeal marketing
“It was an ad that used sex appeal to catch the eye of a mostly-male market — not a "kick in the face" to female athletes, as four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus suggested.”Read statement
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- Molly Carlson: young girls "deserve to grow up seeing female athletes celebrated" for capability
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The Dispute Index. "Molly Carlson: young girls "deserve to grow up seeing female athletes celebrated" for capability". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/705-molly-carlson-said-the-novig-ad-clashed-with